Railroad-car.



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R. HARDING @L C. H. HOWARD.

RALROAD CAR. u

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 27', 1904.

IA Iv h No. 778,964. PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905. R. HARDING L C. H. HOWARD.

RAILROAD CAR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.27,19o4-.

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l m@ n lUNirnn STATES Patented January 3, 1905.

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RUSSELL HARDING AND CLARENCE H. HOWARD, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNORS TO CAST STEEL PLATFORM CO., OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI,

A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

RAILROAD-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,964, dated January 3, 1905.

Application filed August 27, 1904. Serial No. 222,435.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, RUSSELL HARDING and CLARENCE I-I. HOWARD, citizens of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have jointly invented a new and useful Improvement in Railroad ,Cars, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates particularly to the platforms and draft-timbers of a railroad-car.

In the ordinary construction of a railroadcar each platform and its adjacent draft-timbers are separate parts and attached, respectively, to the end sills and to the middle longitudinal sills of the floor-frame of the car, whereby in the case of the platform a joint is formed between it and the end sill, which in the event of collision breaks and causes the destruction of the platform and consequent telescoping' of the cars.

Our invention has for its object to obviate this evil and at the same time strengthen the Hoor-frame of the car and provide a rigid and durable platform having the draft members integral therewith.

The invention consists in features of novelty as hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the'accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, where- Figure 1 is a top plan of a car-platform and its appendages embodying our invention and showing its combination with the adjacent body bolster of the car; Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal section thereof on line 2 2 in Fig'. 3 5 1; Fig. 3, a vertical transverse section through the rearwardlyprojecting bars or beams of the platform forming part of our invention and through the longitudinal car-sills to which they are attached, the body-bolster being seen in side elevation; Fig. 4, a vertical longitudinal section, transversely to the car, through the buffer-beam or outer end sill of the platform on line 4 4 in Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a crosssection through the platform on line 5 5 in Fig. l; Fig. 6, a vertical transverse section, longitudinally to th'e car, to enlarged scale, through the body bolster broken away on line 6 6 in Fig. l, showing the lock or engagement of one of the projecting bars of the platform therewith; Fig. 7, a view corresponding to Fig. 2, showing a modification of our invention; and Fig. 8, a cross-section thereof on line S 8 in Fig. 7, showing the middle portion of the body-bolster in side elevation.

Like letters and numerals of reference denote like parts in all the figures.

a represents our improved car-platform, which projects beyond the corresponding ends of the longitudinal sills b Z1 of the floorframe of the car in the usual manner and is preferably composed of cast-steel integral throughout. The platform a may be of any desired cross-section and configuration in top plan, such as shown, consisting of a series of parallel longitudinal pieces l, preferably channel-shaped in cross section, which are arranged at suitable distances apart and united at the top by cross-pieces 2, the platform a having a central opening 3 therethrough and otherwise suitably constructed thereabout for the buffer-rigging- (Not shown.)

The outer end 4 of the platform a, which is preferably channel-shaped in cross-section, is provided with a buder-beam or end sill c, which is similar in outline to an ordinary platform end sill and, preferably, of an inverted- U shape in cross-section, having transverse strengthening-ribs 5 5', the ribs 5 being preferably alined to the vertical webs of the channel-pieces l and the ribs 5', located intermediate to the ribs 5, or the ribs 5 5/ may be otherwise arranged, as found most suitable.

The outer end 4 of the platform a is formed on its outer face, preferably where it intersects the ends 6 of the channel-pieces l, with chipping-faces 7, against which similar faces 7 on the rear wall of the buffer-beam c are adapted to bear, the buffer-beam c being attached to the end 4 by rivets 8, which pass through the said wall and through the end 4, against the inside face of which they are clenched, or the buffer-beam c may be otherwise secured to the platform a. whereby in case of breakage of the buffer-beam c from collision or other cause it can be removed and another buffer beam substituted therefor without having todiscard or disturb the platform a and its attachment to the car-sills, thereby saving time and expense.

The inner end 9 of the platform a is preferably channel-shaped in cross-section, having the outer fac'e of its Vertical Web 10 bearing against the butting ends of the middle and intermediate longitudinal car-sills b of the floor-frame. The web 1() is extended beyond each side of the platform a to the full width of the floor-frame, and with its extended portions 10 forms the end sill of the Hoor-frame in lieu of (or conjointly with) the ordinary wood end sill, the longitudinal side sills butting at their ends against the extended portions 10, which are preferably beveled thereat conformably to the corners of the floor-frame.

From the platform a, at its inner end 9 and alined thereto, project bars or beams d, which are preferably channel-shaped in cross-section and integral with the platform a, their Vertical webs 11 bearing against the preferably outer sides of the middle longitudinal car-sills 1)', to which they correspond in depth and to which they are firmly secured, in the case of wood sills, as shown, by bolts 12, or, in the case of steel sills, by rivets.

Projecting from the end 9 of and integral with the platform a, at a suitable distance from each bar CZ and parallel thereto, is a channel-shaped bar cl', similar to d, having its vertical web 11 bearing against the preferably outer side of the corresponding intermediate longitudinal car sill b, t0 which the bar d' is secured by bolts 12l in a similar manner to the bar d, the under sides of the bars Z CZ being iiush with the bottom of the sills Z2".

The bars d CZ preferably extend rearward from the platform a, lentirely across the top of the body-bolster e, which in the present case is shown as an integral cast-steel double body-bolster, having two opposite I-shaped side pieces 13, united to each other by the two end pieces 14 and by the middle cross-piece 15, having the body center plate 16 integral therewith on its under side and perforated therethrough for the king-bolt. (Not shown.) Through the upper flanges of the side pieces 13 and end pieces 14 are formed the holes 17 for the bolts, (not shown,) by which the bodybolster e is secured to the car-body in the usual manner.

The bars (Z d', when fixed in place to the longitudinal car-sills b' by the bolts 12 12',

as before described, are locked or engaged with the body-bolster e by lugs or jaws 18,

(see particularly Fig. 6,) formed, preferably, entirely across the bars Z ci on their under sides, where they bear upon the top of the body-bolster e, the inner opposite faces of the lugs 18 bearing against the corresponding upper edges of the side pieces 13, and thereby preventing end play of the bars d d and sheering strain on the bolts 12 12. H

The bars cl d at their junction with the end 9 of the platform t are united to each other and to the vertical web 10 10 of the said end at the bottom by horizontal webs 19,y which are integral with the web 10 10 and bear against the under sides of the car-sills b L Z2", adjacent to their butting ends, thereby insuring a thorough connection of the bars d d to the platform a and a positive and rigid bearing of the end sill 10 10 against the ends of the longitudinal car-sills I) b b.

It is to be here noted that the longitudinal pieces or members 1 of the platform a are preferably alined, respectively, to the bars CZ cl for insuring a direct thrust to the latter of the platform a.

To the bars d CZ, which correspond to and are substituted for the ordinary draft-timbers, the draw-bar pocket 20 is attached by rivets 21, (or otherwise,) as indicated by broken lines in Figs. 1 2, and 3.

By this invention a rigidand durable platform is obtained having an extended leverage or line of attachment to the floor-frame of the car, whereby the strains are transmitted directly to the entire series of the longitudinal car-sills, and breakage of the platform at its junction with the floor-frame prevented.

Figs. 7 and 8 show our improved platform having its rearwardly-projecting bars 0l attached to the car-sills at their under sides in lieu of to the sides thereof, as above described, for which purpose the bars ci project from the bottom of the platform a, (in lieu of alined thereto, as in Fig. 2,) which remains atI its normal level.

For enabling the bars CZ fl to be fixed to the under sides of the sills Z2' Z1" and at the same time the bars CZ only (in this case) locked with the body-bolster e', slots 22, open at the bottom, are formed transversely through the side pieces 13 of the bolster e', whereby the bars d, which are adapted to lock with the upper closed ends of the slots 22, can be passed upward along the slots 22 and adjusted to the under sides of the sills H, the slots 22 being then closed at the bottom by cover-plates 23, as shown in Fig. 8.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is A- l. In a railroad-car, the combination with the longitudinal car-sills, and with the respective bodybolsters, of a suitable platform in tegral throughout and having an upright web integral therewith at its inner end adapted to bear against the corresponding ends of the said sills, bars projecting from, and integral with the platform, and adapted to bear against the said sills longitudinallytherewith, lugs on the bars adapted to engage the body-bolster, and means for securing the bars to the said sills, substantially as described.

2. In a railroad-car, the combination with IOC) IIO

IIS

ISO

the longitudinal car-sills, of` a suitable platform integral throughout and having an upright web integral therewith at its inner end adapted to bear against the corresponding ends of the said'sills, bars projecting from and integral with the platform and adapted to bear against the said sills longitudinally therewith, horizontal webs integral with the upright web and with the adjacent portions of the said bars and adapted to bear against the under sides of the saidV sills, and means for securing the bars to the said sills, substantially as described.

3. In a railroad-car, the combination' with the longitudinal car-sills and with the respective body-holsters, of a suitable platform integral throughout, bars projecting from and integral with the platform and adapted to bear against the said sills longitudinally therewith, and lugs on the bars adapted to engage thc body bolster, the said bars having the draw-bar pocket attached thereto, substantially as described.

4. As an article of manufacture, a car-platform composed of cast-steel integral throughout and having lan upright web integral therewith at its inner end, bars projecting from and integral with the said web longitudinally with the platform, and having a channel shape in' cross-section, the said bars being alined to corresponding longitudinal members of the platform, and horizontal webs integral with the upright web and with the said bars, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RUSSELL HARDING. CLARENCE H. HOARD. Witnesses:

E. S. MCLEAN, EDWARD ,W. FURRELL. j 

